GAC-Backed Greater Bay Claims Breakthrough in Solid-State Batteries with New Prototype Roll-Out
Greater Bay Technology, backed by GAC, unveiled its all‑solid‑state A‑sample cells, claiming energy densities between 260 Wh/kg and 500 Wh/kg and fast‑charging rates of 2C‑3C. The composite electrolyte design passed nail‑penetration, crush and thermal‑shock tests, demonstrating fire‑free operation. The company says the cells are ready for GWh‑scale mass production in 2026, aligning with the industry’s commercial rollout window. With more than 50 patents filed, Greater Bay aims to secure an early lead in the global solid‑state battery race.
Brits to Get Paid to Use Electricity
British households and factories will receive payments to increase electricity consumption during periods of excess renewable generation, a move aimed at soaking up surplus power and easing grid strain. The scheme introduces market‑based demand flexibility, helping to curb curtailment of...
Debunking 5 Myths About Renewable Energy
The article dismantles five common renewable‑energy myths, citing recent data on cost, reliability, wildlife impact, electric‑vehicle range, and investment trends. It notes solar panel prices have dropped from $35 per watt in 1980 to just $0.26 per watt in 2024,...
CATL, Wuling Partner on Under-10-Minute EV Fast Charging
Chinese battery leader CATL and SAIC‑GM‑Wuling (SGMW) have sealed a strategic partnership to co‑develop ultra‑fast charging technology that can boost EV batteries from 10% to 80% in under ten minutes. The deal makes CATL the core battery supplier for SGMW’s...
Closed Strait Gets Blockaded, Leaving Global Economy In Danger Zone...
The United States Navy launched a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shut the waterway last week, intensifying a standoff that began with failed cease‑fire talks. Washington’s move is intended to cripple Iran’s ability to sell oil and...
Why 14 Western Battery Companies Went Under While Demand Kept Rising
From January 2025 to April 2026, fourteen Western battery firms collapsed despite raising over $20 billion, with Northvolt alone accounting for $15 billion of that capital. The failures spanned cell manufacturers, recyclers and materials players, and were driven by premature gigafactory scaling, lack of...
Aussie Gas Hippopotomus Plugs the Tax Pipe
Australian Labor backbenchers are urging Treasurer Jim Chalmers to raise taxes on gas exporters as voter anger over resource profits grows. Resources Minister Madeleine King defended the existing tax regime, citing billions of dollars of private investment in LNG projects....
Six Weeks to No Fuel at All
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively shut since late February, and the last tanker that cleared the waterway on February 28 is expected to arrive around April 20, ending the flow of pre‑closure oil stocks. Once those inventories are exhausted, global...
Daily Energy Report
OPEC left its global oil supply and demand forecasts unchanged despite the Iran war’s disruptive impact. The organization projects crude demand to reach 106.53 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2026 and 107.87 mb/d in 2027, with a softer second‑quarter offset by...
Magnetic Fields From Earphones and Mobile Phones 'Suck' Airborne Magnetic Particles Into the Brain, Impairing Cognition and Potentially Contributing to...
The article argues that coal‑fired power plants emit far more radioactive material than nuclear facilities because fly ash concentrates uranium and thorium up to tenfold, delivering radiation roughly 100 times higher than an equivalent nuclear plant. Multiple peer‑reviewed studies show...
MacroPass™: Lacy Hunt On The Economic Ramifications of the Global Oil Price Shock
Economist Lacy Hunt’s latest MacroPass report warns that the current global oil price shock will ignite fresh inflationary pressure and could trigger a misguided Federal Reserve response that worsens the downturn. Hunt draws on a century of oil‑shock data, emphasizing...
Forty Years After Chernobyl, Uranium Market Rebounds but Fragility Persists – by Aurel Sèdjro Houenou (Ecofin Agency – April 12,...
Forty years after the Chernobyl disaster, the uranium market has rebounded, with spot prices climbing to $101 per pound in early 2026. The surge reflects renewed global interest in civil nuclear power as part of the broader energy transition. Higher...
OPEC+ Data Deck (April 2026)
The latest OPEC+ Data Deck reveals a March production drop of 7,587 kbpd, bringing quota‑participating output to 28,312 kbpd – the second‑largest monthly decline on record and the lowest level for the expanded group since the 1990 Desert Storm period. The fall...
Nuclear Past and Present Collide in Ontario’s Port Hope – by Rob Ferguson (Toronto Star – April 13, 2026)
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a 10,000‑megawatt nuclear power station on the outskirts of Port Hope, aiming to secure long‑term, low‑carbon electricity for the province. The town is simultaneously coping with a $2.6 billion (≈ $1.9 billion USD) cleanup of low‑level radiation from...
Global Physical Oil Supply Picture Is Dire - And Getting Worse
Physical oil is now trading at $149 per barrel for North Sea Forties, a stark contrast to futures contracts. The Iran‑Israel conflict and a U.S. blockade have pushed crude loss to 15 million barrels per day, pulling global stockpiles down by...
Fed's Goolsbee: Oil Futures Show This Will Be a Short-Run Problem (Why He's Wrong)
Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee argued that the steeply backwardated oil futures curve proves the current price spike is a short‑run issue. The article counters that backwardation reflects immediate physical scarcity and a high convenience yield, not a forecast of...
ADG 4/13: Squeeze Box
New research shows consumer‑grade AI chatbots struggle with medical diagnosis when patient information is sparse, often converging on a single answer too quickly. Meanwhile, Intel’s stock jumped 58% in early April, the best nine‑day rally ever, after announcing a $14.2 billion...
How Nuclear Reactor Control Rods Work and Why Rare Earth Elements Matter
Modern nuclear control rods provide rapid, precise reactivity control, allowing operators to insert or withdraw absorbers within seconds to manage power and execute emergency scrams. Rare‑earth elements such as gadolinium and samarium serve as high‑cross‑section burnable absorbers in fuel pellets,...
Executive Orders for President Trump: Ensuring that US Has Necessary Fuels From California to Provide US National Security
Seven draft executive orders are being pushed to President Trump to address a looming fuel shortage in California and tie the state’s oil production to U.S. national‑security needs. The proposals would invoke the Defense Production Act, lift the Low Carbon...
How Tanker Insurance Became the Real Blockade of Hormuz
A two‑week ceasefire announced by President Trump has not reopened the Strait of Hormuz for commercial traffic. In the first 48 hours only five to nine bulk carriers were recorded, a fraction of the pre‑war average of over 100 vessels...
Daily Memo: Developments in the Middle East
President Donald Trump announced that the United States will commence a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on April 13. The operation will prohibit all vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports while allowing traffic to non‑Iranian ports to pass unimpeded....
Summer School on Managing Africa’s Extractive Future in the Energy Transition
The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), backed by NRGI, will host the 2026 AFREIKH Summer School on extractive‑industry governance in Accra, Ghana, from August 18‑28. The intensive week‑long program targets civil‑society, media, and government professionals from Anglophone Africa, offering...
TMTB Morning Wrap
Futures slipped 6 basis points while crude jumped 8% after President Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, heightening geopolitical risk. Asian equity markets were mixed, with Japan, Korea and Hong Kong indices down and China’s Shanghai...
Mexico Greenlights Fracking
Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced a policy reversal that will allow hydraulic fracturing within the country. The move aims to curb the nation’s heavy reliance on imported natural gas, which currently supplies about 75% of its electricity and largely...
A Devastating Loss
Oil markets have entered a period of extreme volatility, with prices swinging wildly after a Trump post on TruthSocial and rapid analyst revisions. Commodity traders have incurred billions in losses, while investment banks profit from heightened trading volumes. The chaos...
Winners and Losers of the Iran War: Ukraine and Russia
The Iran war has slashed Persian Gulf oil exports to roughly 10‑12 million barrels per day, creating a global supply shortfall and pushing crude prices above $100 a barrel. While Russia initially saw a windfall from higher prices, Ukrainian drone strikes...
Strait of Hormuz Reopens for Now, but Global Supply Chains Remain at Risk
President Donald Trump announced a two‑week suspension of his threatened bombing of Iran, tying the pause to the safe repassage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway moves roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas, a...
Trump Threatens His Own Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the United States will impose a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, interdicting any vessel that passes after Iran’s toll demand. The move follows a failed diplomatic effort to fully reopen...
THE DAWN OF THE MINING BOOM IS COMING SOON: Why the Strait of Hormuz Resolution Is the Ultimate Catalyst &...
The imminent resolution of the Strait of Hormuz dispute is prompting regional producers to fast‑track alternative pipelines, effectively neutralizing Iran’s ability to weaponize the chokepoint. With the geopolitical risk premium expected to collapse, investors anticipate a surge in capital spending...
A Two-Dimensional Polymer Coating Keeps Lithium Metal Batteries Stable for Thousands of Cycles
Researchers at Sungkyunkwan University have created a two‑dimensional polymeric cobalt phthalocyanine coating that directs TFSI⁻ anion decomposition and accelerates Li⁺ transport. The artificial interlayer forms a uniform lithium‑fluoride‑rich solid electrolyte interphase, suppressing dendrite growth. In symmetric cells the coating enabled...
Iran War: US Imposing Strait of Hormuz Blockade Monday AM; Experts Criticize Further Pressure on Oil Prices, Illegality, and Risk...
On April 13, President Donald Trump announced a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to halt Iranian oil shipments. Analysts and international law experts quickly condemned the action as illegal and warned it could destabilize global oil markets....
5 Big Energy Stories - 4.13.2026: Higher for Longer
President Donald Trump told Maria Bartiromo that oil prices will likely stay "a little bit higher" or roughly flat through the November midterms. As of the interview, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was trading around $104.60 per barrel and Brent...
Between War and Wishful Thinking
The United States has hinted at closing the Strait of Hormuz, a move aimed at both Iran and China, heightening geopolitical risk for oil supplies. Iranian crude is increasingly sold at a discount and settled outside the dollar system, adding...
What's Different This Cycle, Oil Update and RE Build ?S From E-Mail
The oil market experienced extreme volatility this week, with Brent climbing from roughly $90 to $120 per barrel before settling near $105. The price swings coincided with a rapid escalation in Middle‑East tensions, moving from a tentative cease‑fire to threats...
Hormuz: Disrupted — Not Yet Defined
The United States announced a naval blockade targeting Iran‑linked shipping, causing a sharp slowdown in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Vessels that were already operating at reduced rates have now paused or turned back, effectively halting most commercial flow....
USA Compression Partners (USAC) Guides 2026 EBITDA at Texas Capital Event
USA Compression Partners (USAC) guided 2026 adjusted EBITDA to $770‑$800 million after acquiring J‑W Power, expanding its fleet to 4.4 million horsepower. Management highlighted $10‑$20 million of cost synergies, a 3.75× leverage target, and a shift to a shared‑services model in Dallas. Texas...
Raymond James Raises TXO Partners (NYSE:TXO) Price Target to $23
Raymond James raised its price target on TXO Partners (NYSE:TXO) to $23 from $18, maintaining a Strong Buy rating. The upgrade follows a $200 million Cross Timbers divestiture, including a $123.5 million sale to CTOC Energy, which is expected to generate about $100 million in...
JPMorgan Raises Sunoco (SUN) Price Target to $73
JPMorgan raised its price target on Sunoco LP (NYSE:SUN) to $73 from $66, keeping an Overweight stance after the company’s fourth‑quarter results. The investment bank cited improved earnings visibility and a stronger balance sheet. Sunoco completed a $1.2 billion private placement...
The True Cost of Oil and Gas
Economists from the World Bank and IMF estimate that explicit subsidies for fossil fuels total $725 bn, while implicit environmental and health costs add another $6.7 tn—about 5.8% of global GDP. Their analysis of retail fuel prices versus true societal costs shows...
A Closer Look at U.S. Electricity Rate Trends
A new Charles River Associates report, using five years of EIA and FERC data, shows that national retail electricity price growth is driven largely by outliers in California and the Northeast. While those regions experienced sharp spikes—California due to $40 billion...
Trump Claims Windmills Kill Birds. Here Are the Facts.
President Trump asserted that wind turbines are a major cause of bird deaths. Fact‑checking shows turbines do kill birds and bats, but mortality rates are modest compared with buildings, vehicles, and cats. A 2023 peer‑reviewed study found no statistically significant...
Gazprom Exports to the EU Jump 21% Y/Y in March as Hormuz Crisis Tighten LNG Supply
Europe’s gas storage fell to 27.7% of capacity by the end of March, the lowest seasonal level since 2022, yet the continent avoided a supply shortfall through the winter. In March, Gazprom boosted its exports to the EU by 21%...
Mapping Gas Prices
Gasoline prices in the United States rose steadily after the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran began in February, linking the conflict directly to higher oil costs. While the national average increased, the price impact varied sharply across regions, with California staying...
Weekly Market Pulse: The Only Free Lunch In Investing
Stocks jumped nearly 4% last week after a brief US‑Iran ceasefire, while crude oil plunged 14% and the dollar slipped 1.3%. The S&P 500 hit its March 30 low, leaving year‑to‑date returns essentially flat despite a six‑month correction that began...
A Very Similar Spike in Frequency (Outside the NOFB) on Saturday 11th April 2026
On April 10 and 11 2026 the Australian NEM experienced two near‑identical frequency spikes, each rising linearly within a dispatch interval and peaking just outside the Normal Operating Frequency Band (50.174 Hz and 50.176 Hz respectively). High‑resolution 0.1‑second data from a Brisbane device captured...
The Strait Switch: Trump Tightens The Valve But Keeps The Door Ajar
The United States has imposed a selective naval blockade on Iranian oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, removing roughly 1.5‑2 million barrels per day from global supply. The squeeze pushed Brent crude back above $100 a barrel, reviving inflation concerns...
Australia Bends Asia over LNG Barrel
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans to expand domestic gas production but stopped short of ruling out higher taxes on LNG exports in the upcoming May budget. Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warned that rising Australian energy costs could...
Soaring Renewable Transmission Costs to Pressure Power Bills
Australian renewable transmission cost estimates have exploded. AEMO’s 2020 projection of $8.5 billion (≈$5.6 billion USD) for new lines in NSW and Victoria is now seen as $120 billion (≈$79 billion USD) and could exceed $200 billion (≈$132 billion USD). Adding wind and solar generation adds...
Asia Market Sense Initial Thoughts: Trump Says US Will Block the Hormuz Straits;... That Just Makes Matters Worse
President Trump warned Iran that the United States would block the Strait of Hormuz if tolls were imposed, sending oil prices above $100 a barrel amid the ongoing Iran‑U.S. conflict. The geopolitical shock has spurred a wave of policy responses,...
American Madman Blockades Hormuz and Aussie Economy
President Donald Trump announced that the United States Navy will immediately begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks with Iran collapsed in Islamabad. The move would halt all ship traffic through the narrow waterway, effectively cutting off Iran’s...